


1997

by Anthropos_Metron



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Petscop (Web Series)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Extremely Unreliable Narrator, Horror Elements, Other, Very loosely Petscop inspired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:06:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21615787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anthropos_Metron/pseuds/Anthropos_Metron
Summary: You’ve had our copy of the game for twenty-two years now.
Relationships: ????&Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	1997

You’ve had our copy of the game for twenty-two years now.

You’ve sadly forgotten when you received our copy of the game. But I suppose that’s not too surprising, that would be like remembering being born.

If you had to guess, you’d guess that you received it at Christmas, but no, you received it on your birthday. It was always just you and your mother. She was pretty strict, and she had a temper, but she liked giving you wonderful presents.

You don’t remember the first time you held our copy, but I do. I remember how happy you were. There was a brightness in your eyes - It was like lighting a fire inside you.

You scurried away so quickly, and you started playing with such excitement, and such anticipation. From the opening FMV, you were hooked.

Such lovely memories, it’s a pity only I remember them now. But I suppose we’re constantly making new ones all the time.

Because, in a way, you’ve never really stopped playing, have you?

***

You loved playing the game so much.

You didn’t have any real friends to speak of for the longest time, and all the other kids used to pick on you, so you didn’t like school very much. What you really liked was playing games, and you liked our game most of all.

Maybe you weren’t the best at it, but you still loved it. You didn’t understand the combat particularly well, not nearly as well as you do now. But as you know, you were always a bit slow.

You loved playing, down there in the basement. You think you used to play it in your bedroom, but that’s not true, because I was there with you and I remember us playing in the basement. In fact you can’t remember a basement at all, but that’s okay, because memory is a funny thing.

There’s a lot of things you don’t remember very well, and I already know you’re thinking this isn’t you. It’s a good thing I’m such a good friend, and I’ve got a good memory, isn’t it? So I can fill in the blanks you have, and all.

I remember one time, on a holiday, when you just played for days and days. People said you seemed changed, after that.

You started wearing a lot of black, but then that’s what happens with a lot of teenagers, isn’t it.

They said it was just a phase.

***

It took you a long time before you beat the game. Maybe because you’ve always been a perfectionist, and you were always getting pushed off into side-quests.

In fact, I know you loved the game so much, you never really wanted it to end.

But eventually, you fought the final boss, and though it took you several tries, you completed the game.

I was _so_ pleased to see you win.

***

It hurt me when you injured yourself.

Didn’t your mother ever say something like ‘you should never run with scissors’?

Nevermind. Just a bad memory.

You know, they say that when things are bad, you know who your real friends are, and I know that’s always been true with us.

I remember when your boyfriend left you, and he wouldn’t say why, we played together a lot, and I’d like to think that helped you at a difficult time.

We’ve always had the game in common, even as the years go by. We’ve always played together. It’s a really special game. A special way of bringing people together.

I think that’s great.

***

Twenty-two years. That’s a long time, isn’t it? A lot of marriages don’t last that long. You know, some people don’t live that long. It’s certainly a lot longer than any of the relationships you’ve had. Eleven times the longest one you’ve had. I can’t even think how many times longer it is than the average – I’m not very good at math.

And you’ve kept our copy in such good condition too, that’s what always impresses me. You’ve lost a lot of things, some things you’re ashamed about, some sentimental knick-knacks, but you’ve kept the game and kept it pristine, too.

I’m so proud of you.

I know that when you see a copy of the game in second-hand electronics stores, in the glass cabinets with all the retro stuff, you think to yourself, ‘That’s so sad, that the jewel case on that copy of the game is all shattered, and it looks like the instruction manual is lost’.

Some people would say that’s a really weird way of looking at objects. But I think it’s such a sweet point of view.

It’s almost like you want to accumulate more copies of the game, and take care of them. You could adopt all the old copies of the game, bring them together, and we could be a big family!

That would be really funny.

***

It’s kind of embarrassing, because people don’t always say these things to other people straight up, but you know that I love you?

Right?

***

You’ve had a difficult time, but I admire you, because you still hold onto the really important things over the years. In a way, you’re pretty traditional. Black is still your go-to colour for clothes, and has been ever since that time with the game.

I hear you had a notion to dye your hair silver a while back, but that didn’t come off. You bought a bleaching kit, and the silver dye, and you did some experiments with some of your hair, but it was such a pain to get it right. It seemed a big step.

That’s too bad. I thought it would have looked good, with your tattoo. Maybe sometime again, soon.

Some people would say that it’s childish to style yourself like a game character, but I think it’s just harmless escapism. Everybody needs a rich internal life, like you have. It’s about being an individual, right?

***

I’m still kind of embarrassed about what I said earlier about loving you. But I wasn’t scared in saying it at the time, because I know that even if you don’t say it, you love me too. I always know we can share everything together. In fact, we’re really the only other each of us can say that about.

What I’m really trying to say is that, after twenty-two years, I know we’re going to be friends for life. Friends forever.

;)

**Author's Note:**

> Just a poor tribute to Petscop.
> 
> Or in this instance, should I say, Sephscop.


End file.
